Are some hunting/horsey traditions just a bit pointless?

So long as they are correctly executed no problem because they all have a purpose.

The one I love which is now somewhat quaint. Saying 'goodnight' in the middle of the day.

From the Heythrop Website: http://heythrophunt.com/etiquette.htm "At the beginning of the day you should always go and find the Master and say “Good morning”. Equally if you go home before the end of the day, you should always say “Goodnight” to the Master or at least, if you are a visitor, let someone know that you have gone. That way they will know that you have not got lost somewhere in the Cotswolds".

Gentlemen should always take their hats off for both good morning and good night.

Also whilst I am talking about taking hats off:

If the field encounter a funeral cortage gentlemens hats should alway be taken off and come to the halt. That includes when you are mounted and out on exercise for example.
 
I have lost 3 hairnets on 3 hunts, the just fall out somehow! so I didn't wear one on the last hunt, I also didn't plait as I had 3 others to plait and ran out of time :( so I looked a bit scruffy that day! I do plait on the right though as the left just looks odd to me ! Even when I do plait, they look like golf balls as despite hogging half of it off and pulled it to within an inch of its life, my horse still has really thick mane
 
Everyone to their own I plait one on left as that is the side it lies, I am left handed but moons ago you weren't allowed to be left handed but that 'tradition' has gone now, taking part is what is the main thing.
 
You don't plait on Mondays, I was led to believe, as it was the grooms day off. Maesfens reason for it being a bye day sounds right though, either way I didn't plait on Mondays. TBH I don't have a groom and used to have to do the school run before hunting so if the meet was far away and not a lawn meet I didn't plait the mane, but the tail was always plaited up as I could do that the night before. I nearly always plaited the mane too, but not always.
 
Heavyweight hairnets -the last lot I bought from Robinsons -a pack of 2have lasted me ages -on 2nd season hunting having evented all summer :-)

(And I have really long, heavy hair, so they have to work! )
 
asset2004 said:
Also going back to hairnets, where do you find the best place to buy them? I have been growing my hair and now need a hairnet, but the last one I have the elastic has gone and it must be about 20 years old! I've looked in some saddlery shops and they are the silly fine material that can hardly be seen and only lasts once. All ideas welcome :)
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Boots - I think they are referred to as "heavyweight slumber net" seem to last forever or at least until they are lost or the dog gets them !
 
Never heard the no plaiting on Mondays!

Hairnets - look at the military if you want to see a smart turnout,and that is what the horse world is copying, as that is how it started really.

A child would have a plait, for a lady their hair should be up, although quite what you are supposed to do with really long hair I don't know.

At one time tack was just brown, that is the way it was tanned. Can't you remember having to darken the light coloured leather - there were lots of weird suggestions on how to do it quickly, otherwise it was just a matter of daily cleaning with saddle soap.
 
Starbucks said:
I just think they are such a strange item, I want to look smart for corporate meetings at work but I don’t put a net on my head!

I’ll continue to behave, regretfully!
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It's not really comparable - unless you are a professional hunt servant. At work I can style my hair to stay by my head because I'm not going teararsing through the countryside.

Tradition aside ladies look a lot smarter on horseback when they're not sprouting hair out the side of their hat.
 
Maesfen said:
I remember having to beg and borrow a hacking jacket so I could go to a rally!
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Don't tell me they don't have to wear hacking jackets to pony club rallies these days? :eek:

I get laughed at by my friends a lot as I always wear a hairnet even for hacking! Pony club drummed it into me!! Worried1 and Jessamess on here will confirm :D

I can't imagine going hunting without a clipped, plaited horse (tail included) and I always sew my ribbons up on new hats. I usually sew my plaits in too although this season, for the first time ever, I've used bands because they're easier to get out in the dark:o

I love all the traditions, it would be such a shame to lose them (although I do wear a crash cap as I've had a few too many bumps on the head over the years) :)
 
As someone else said the best hairnets I've found are the slumber nets from boots, heard someone else recommend them out hunting, and they seem to last! I have really long (not far off my waist) think hair, which I tie in a low pony tail, then plait, then fold back on itself, (like a horse plait) then hairnet and the do but a scrunchie over it, really I should put a plain hair tie on, but afraid I do but a scrunchie which is the same colour of of my collar so it does basically blend in.

Re horses plaits, always on the right hand side, bless my mum the other day who hunts a bit, went to plait her horse whilst I was at work before hunting to help safe some time, but plaited on the left side, so I still had to do a quick plait onto the right side, just couldn't cope that one of mine would go out with plaits on the wrong side.
 
People south of the Thames - do you plait? Isn't it the case that you aren't meant to?

You still need a hacking jacket for PC rallies, but unfortunately the out of control little so and sos can wear what they like for hunting.
 
Now, plaiting. THE most ridiculous "tradition" ever! I'm not sure that it's even that much of a tradition. When you look at very old hunting pictures there was hardly a plait in sight - many hogged manes, and some neatly pulled ones. I think someone on here said once that it is a tradition that developed around the 1960s. I think most horses look perfectly smart with a neatly pulled mane and tail.

Agree that there is nothing worse than hair sticking out of a hat and hanging down the back (in fact when my daughter wants to annoy me she tells me she's going to be a showjumper and have her hair everywhere) but you don't necessarily need a hairnet with mid-length hair - just a good hairband to make a bun type effect.

Around here they wear sweatshirts and PC anoraks for rallies. But they are all beautifully turned out in hacking jackets for hunting. I was very anti chaps for children for ages as I was always taught jodhpur boots for children, but now mine are in chaps as it helps to keep their legs warmer and drier.

And I HATE the garter straps on my boots. One kept turning round today and has given me a good bruise on the inside of my knee. Absolutely no reason for them at all, as everyone has stretchy breeches, and it's two more buckles to undo before you can get them off and get into the bath! They need to go on the tradition bonfire.

So the answer to your question is YES! Whilst tradition is often useful, it bends and changes and there is no harm in that, as long as the overall goal is achieved which is to be clean and smart! However, I am not brave enough to take on the whole hunting world by turning up unplaited. Unfortunately.
 
Me ! when I did go hunting made sure that the horse and I looked clean and tidy, and no I didn't plait as said horse got really wound up and would be a nightmare beforehand as he knew what was going on and it's no fun trying to ride a horse that wants to be at the front, going past the Masters.
 
In reply to my question about hairnets my local Boots didn't have any but Superdrug have Slumbernets and hairnets. Bought the slumbernets are figured the hairnets were too flimsy, even better they are on a3 for 2 offer :)
Tied one on Saturday - perfect
 
I believe that the colour of tack tradition comes from the days when tack was dyed differently to now. The dye that was used to make black tack was much more aggressive and weakened the leather, where the brown didn't.

and plaited rather than hogged - because hogging was for driving horses (and therefore working horses) but plaiting denoted a "Better quality" of horse.


doing everything on the left, except the mane is the sword thing as someone else suggested....
 
Hoof_Prints said:
I have lost 3 hairnets on 3 hunts, the just fall out somehow! so I didn't wear one on the last hunt, I also didn't plait as I had 3 others to plait and ran out of time :( so I looked a bit scruffy that day! I do plait on the right though as the left just looks odd to me ! Even when I do plait, they look like golf balls as despite hogging half of it off and pulled it to within an inch of its life, my horse still has really thick mane
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tip to keep a hair net in... put hair in the net then apply bobble of some description! that way, even if it slides off your head under your hat, it's held to your hair! I bought heavier weight nets too as they stay in better.

I bought 2 of them 3 seasons ago and haven't used the 2nd one yet!
 
Judgemental said:
If the field encounter a funeral cortage gentlemens hats should alway be taken off and come to the halt. That includes when you are mounted and out on exercise for example.
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This is a lovely idea. I haven't come across any funeral corteges so far while hunting, but will certainly observe the sage advice when I do.
 
tootsietoo said:
Now, plaiting. THE most ridiculous "tradition" ever! I'm not sure that it's even that much of a tradition. When you look at very old hunting pictures there was hardly a plait in sight - many hogged manes, and some neatly pulled ones. I think someone on here said once that it is a tradition that developed around the 1960s. I think most horses look perfectly smart with a neatly pulled mane and tail.

Agree that there is nothing worse than hair sticking out of a hat and hanging down the back (in fact when my daughter wants to annoy me she tells me she's going to be a showjumper and have her hair everywhere) but you don't necessarily need a hairnet with mid-length hair - just a good hairband to make a bun type effect.

Around here they wear sweatshirts and PC anoraks for rallies. But they are all beautifully turned out in hacking jackets for hunting. I was very anti chaps for children for ages as I was always taught jodhpur boots for children, but now mine are in chaps as it helps to keep their legs warmer and drier.

And I HATE the garter straps on my boots. One kept turning round today and has given me a good bruise on the inside of my knee. Absolutely no reason for them at all, as everyone has stretchy breeches, and it's two more buckles to undo before you can get them off and get into the bath! They need to go on the tradition bonfire.

So the answer to your question is YES! Whilst tradition is often useful, it bends and changes and there is no harm in that, as long as the overall goal is achieved which is to be clean and smart! However, I am not brave enough to take on the whole hunting world by turning up unplaited. Unfortunately.
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Here here. Am rubbish at plaiting and horse's mane falls to the left, so if I have to plait on the right I am gonna be in all kinds of bother and look pretty damn untidy. Better a tidier plait on the left than a horrid creation on the right? And I'm a lefty, so can I put my sword on the other side then please?
 
Bernster said:
Here here. Am rubbish at plaiting and horse's mane falls to the left, so if I have to plait on the right I am gonna be in all kinds of bother and look pretty damn untidy. Better a tidier plait on the left than a horrid creation on the right? And I'm a lefty, so can I put my sword on the other side then please?
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I have one whose mane falls straight up towards her ears, and it plaits perfectly onto the right. Same with any wild mane I've come across!
 
CrazyMare said:
I have one whose mane falls straight up towards her ears, and it plaits perfectly onto the right. Same with any wild mane I've come across!
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Ah but what if you combine that with fingers like spuds and no sense of co-ordination ?! Don't despair though, I will get back to practising before we venture out, or decide not to bother, as the fear of a plaiting disaster may put me off completely!
 
Bernster said:
Ah but what if you combine that with fingers like spuds and no sense of co-ordination ?! Don't despair though, I will get back to practising before we venture out, or decide not to bother, as the fear of a plaiting disaster may put me off completely!
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Nah, find a friend like me that adores plaiting and swap chores....

I have plaited 5 before hunting before now, and have swapped that for turning out other horses, mucking out stables or washing tails! LOL
 
tootsietoo said:
Now, plaiting. THE most ridiculous "tradition" ever! I'm not sure that it's even that much of a tradition. When you look at very old hunting pictures there was hardly a plait in sight - many hogged manes, and some neatly pulled ones. I think someone on here said once that it is a tradition that developed around the 1960s. I think most horses look perfectly smart with a neatly pulled mane and tail.
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I'm certainly no expert but I thought the point of plaiting was to prevent a long mane from catching in hedges and thorn bushes when jumping or pushing through undergrowth.
 
When I attempt to plait my horse, it's always been on the side that the mane lays on. Makes my life a bit easier.

I avoid plaiting at all if I can. Mine looks truly awful, and my horse looks far smarter with a pulled mane that my grotty attempts to put in any plaits.
 
I was quite surprised (having had a big gap in having my own horse) that the last two dressage events I did I got told by someone on my yard 'You look a bit smart for going there' and the next event the judge commented that we were best turned out (probably the only nice comment she could muster after my horse bellowed across the field at her mate!) I am only in my early 30's but always used to plait mane and tail, clean tack etc so still do. I didn't think I looked that overboard (in fact didn't get time to clean tack the day when the judge commented so it was just babywiped). Do people really just not bother at unaffiliated these days?
 
In my full time rider days, I always plaited for affiliated, never for unaffiliated competitions. I was generally taking baby horses unaff and they were stressy enough without adding plaiting!

I always plait for hunting, unless we're doing 2nd horses in which case, only the horse that went to the meet gets plaited
 
I would always plait for dressage comps and the dressage phase of eventing whether affiliated or not, I think it makes us feel smart and looking the part often helps with confidence :-)) also always use hairnets and clean my tack before shows. old traditions die hard I guess!

Billabongchick said:
I was quite surprised (having had a big gap in having my own horse) that the last two dressage events I did I got told by someone on my yard 'You look a bit smart for going there' and the next event the judge commented that we were best turned out (probably the only nice comment she could muster after my horse bellowed across the field at her mate!) I am only in my early 30's but always used to plait mane and tail, clean tack etc so still do. I didn't think I looked that overboard (in fact didn't get time to clean tack the day when the judge commented so it was just babywiped). Do people really just not bother at unaffiliated these days?
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Something that has always baffled me is asking 'permission' to wear waterproofs?!

I appreciate the need to be smartly turned out in respect of the landowners, but in torrential condtions would far rather wear a barbour or equivalent.
 
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